Device for the treatment of tubular fabric



M y 1969 H. KANNEGIESSER ET AL 3,442,426

DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF TUBULAR FABRIC Filed March 6, 1967 Sheet of 2 If] ven f ors. H Mamas/Lassa w Jamar/lick May 6, 1969 H. KANNEGIESSER ET AL 3,442,426

DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF TU BULAR FABRIC Filed March a, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 In v e n l 0 rs H 164 uwec/exsee 4 A? uumvscmscx United States Patent 3,442,426 DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF TUBULAR FABRIC Herbert Kannegiesser and Richard Jurascheck, Vlotho (Weser), Germany, assignors to Kannegiesser Maschinenfabrik Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Valdorf, near Vlotho/Weser Hollwiesen, Germany Filed Mar. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 620,797

Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 16, 1966, p K 60,937

Int. Cl. A41h /01 U.S. Cl. 223-69 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device onto which tubular fabric is fitted for treating by steaming and pressing. The device comprises a thin, flexible flat form corresponding to the general outline of the tubular fabric to be treated. The fiat form has openings formed therein which are closely adjacent to each other to provide a thin-walled construction. The fiat form includes an outer border portion having no openings formed therein to prevent damage to the tubular fabric being fitted thereon. The diameter of said openings is of such a small dimension that no impressions appear on the tubular fabric during pressing of the same.

This invention relates to a device for treating tubular fabric by steaming and pressing, the tubular fabric to be treated being fitted on to a form corresponding to the contours of the tubular fabric.

It is already known to fit tubular fabric on to a form consisting of a frame of flat material or round material when the tubular fabric is to be treated in a steaming device or ironing machine. The frame-like form fills only the marginal zones of the objects to be treated. Due to this the front and rear portions of the object are not separated from each other by the form but lie immediately upon each other. As a result, when the tubular fabric is treated in a steaming device the seams and collar portions of the rear side will appear in outlines on the front side and vice versa during the suction and cooling operations. This results in unpleasant clearly visible markings on the fabric. Furthermore, a fixing operation with additional mechanical pressure is not feasible with such forms because the frame-like form will appear on the object as lines with increased sheen. Therefore, this treatment necessitates in practice a second openation without framelike forms.

Also already known are forms consisting of a relatively thick rigid aluminum plate. This form has a thickness of 3 to 4 mm. This causes, firstly, the disadvantage that the entire form must be heated during the treatment, which necessitates a considerable amount of energy considering the thickness of the form. For drying the treated object hot air must be passed to both sides of the form or the object fitted on the form, respectively, because the form is not permeable to air. This also requires a considerable amount of energy. Moreover, the object remains hot after the drying operation and must cool down over a certain period of time prior to its removal from the form. This also causes cooling of the form which must be heated up again during the next phase of treatment.

Further known is a device for the treatment of tubular Claims 3,442,426 Patented May 6, 1969 ice fabric wherein a form consisting of an aluminum sheet of a thickness of about 3 mm. is used. This form has through bores with a diameter of about 4 mm. with a spacing between adjacent bores of about 20 to 30 mm. With this form a passage of steam and air through the form is possible to a certain extent. However, it could be found that the spacing between the bores is not sufficient to let steam and air rapidly act on the object to a sufficient degree. Another disadvantage resides in the fact that this form permits of no fixing operation with additional mechanical pressure because the bores due to their considerable dimensions will appear in outlines on the pressed material. This prevents any fashionable sheen effect to be produced on the surface of the object. Moreover, also in this case a considerable amount of energy is required for heating the form due to the thickness of the form. Conversely, it is not possible to rapidly cool down the heated form during the fixing operation.

It is the object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known devices. In particular, it is to be achieved that the forms can be heated up with a low requirement for energy and that steam and air can approach all parts of the treated object in a simple and efficient manner. Furthermore, pressing of the objects on the form should be feasible without any markings appearing on the objects.

This object is attained according to the present invention by providing a device for treating tubular fabric by steaming and pressing, which comprises a thin fiat form corresponding to the contours of the tubular fabric to be treated for fitting thereon the tubular fabric and constructed as a screen with narrow openings lying closely adjacent each other, the diameter of said openings being so dimensioned that no impressions appear on the tubular fabric during pressing the same.

By the teaching to construct the form as a screen with narrow openings it is to be understood that the openings have a minimum distance from one another which meets the requirements as to strength in the event of occurring stresses. The teaching to construct the form as thin as possible means that the form should be adapted to receive the tubular fabric without being deformed in transverse direction. It is, however, not necessary that the form can stand firm without special suporting means, that is to say, it may be flexible.

In particular, the form as proposed by the invention has a thickness of about 0.8 to 1 mm., whereas the openings in the form have a diameter of 0.8 to 1 mm. and are arranged in rows so as to be staggered relative to each other with a center distance of the openings in the order of 1.5 mm.

By the proposal of the present invention to construct the form as a thin-walled screen with narrow openings it is firstly ensured that a relatively small amount of energy is required for heating the fabric to be treated and the form. Another advantage which is essential to the treatment consists in that air and steam can easily pass through the form over the entire surface of the form. On the other hand, however, the front and rear portions of the fabric are completely separated from one another. It is also possible to subject the fabric to mechcanical pressure without any markings forming on the fabric. Owing to the thin-walled construction of the form the heat can be transmitted uniformly to the fabric.

The thin-walled form constructed in accordance with the present invention is fiexible. For this reason it-is suggested that the form assumes a horizontal position when fitting the tubular fabric on to, and removing the tubular fabric from, the form and preferably even during the treatment of the tubular fabric. During the fitting and the removal of the tubular fabric the form may be slightly lifted on one side.

An important feature of the invention consists in that at least one outer edge extending all round the form is continuously closed. According to this feature, the border of. the form'should have no openings formed therein which might damage the tubular fabric. The closed border or the closed outer edge may be obtained in various ways, preferably .by an appropriate outer border free from openings, by a glued-on foil strip, particularly of Teflon, which is capable of sliding and does not cause the fabric to bulge out or by asmooth envelope of fabric permeable to steamand air which completely encloses the form.

Other features of the invention relate to the assemblage of the form proposed by the invention from a plurality of parts which canbe connected together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION-OF THE DRAWINGS Several embodiments of the invention will now be describedby way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a form according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the border of the form;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the detail shown in FIG. 2;

- FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the form;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a detail of the form, illustrating the assemblage of the individual parts of the form;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section on the line VII-VII of FIG. 4, on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of the form;

FIG. 9 is a cross section through the form of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of still another embodiment of the form according to the invention;

FIG. 10a is a similar view of a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 10, illustrating a different construction of the arms, and

FIG. 11 is a side clevational view of a detail of the form of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT With reference now to the drawings, a form as proposed by the present invention comprises a thin-walled body having a thickness in the order of 0.8 to 1 mm. and Constructed as a screen with a plurality of narrow openings 10. These openingshave a diameter in the order of about 1 mm. and are arranged in rows in staggered arrangement so that a miximum number of openingsis provided which are spaced apart at minimum distances. Inthe illustrated embodiments the center distance of the openings amounts to about 1.25-mm.

- .The invent-ion resides, firstly, in the recognition that the form must be kept as thin-walled as possible in order to permit of a rapid heat exchange'The amount of energy required for heating the form is extremely small: The heat is distributed quickly and uniformly to the tubular fabric fitted on the form. When cooling the heat is again given off quickly so that the individual cycle times can'be .kept very short when the form is beingused in an ironing and steaming device. Secondly, to construct the form as a less the front and rearward portionsof the tubular fabric are separated from one anothenAccording to the invention, the diameter of the openings is so chosen that the tubular fabric'in fitted-on condition can also be subjected to the pressure exerted by press-plates without the openings appearing in outlines on the tubular fabric.

It is an essential feature of the invention that an outer edge 11 of the form has no openings 10 formed therein because same would damage the fabric when it is being fiitted on and removed. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 a border 12 is provided all round the form, which border has no openings 10 formed therein and thus remains closed. The border 12 preferably has a width of about 3 mm. and terminates in the sharp edge 11.

Instead of providing the closed border 12 the form as proposed by the invention may have the openings 10 extending as far as the outer edge 11, in 'which case preferably a foil strip 13 of slidable material, particularly Teflon, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is glued on the edge 11 to provide slidability to said edge, said material preventing the tubular fabric from bulging out. This'foil strip 13 also permits to obtain a closed border 12 or a closed outer edge 11, the sliding ability of the material facilitating the fitting and the removal of the tubular fabric. The foil strip 13 may, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, also be used in conjunction with a closed border 12 to increase the sliding ability of the form at the outer edges 11.

Another solution to this problem is illustrated in FIG. -8. In this case the form is completely enclosed in a smooth envelope 24 of fabric permeable to air and steam. Also this envelope causes the formation of a closed border or a closed outer edge 11 of the form.

For facilitating the fitting of the tubular fabric on to the form and the removal of the tubular fabric from the form, the form at least in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7 and 10 and 11 may be coated with a sliding means, particularly Teflon, at least at its edges.

The form includes a body portion 15 and laterally projecting arms 16 and 17. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the body portion 15 and the arm 16 constitute an integral part, whereas the arm 17 for fitting on and removing the tubular fabric is a separate part which-is attached to the body portion 15 during the treatment of the tubular fabric.

i In the embodiment of FIG. 4 both arms 16 and 17 are constructed as separate parts which can be positively connected to the body portion 15. A preferred embodiment of the positive connection between the arms 16 and 17 and the-body portion 15 is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. At the upper end of the body portion 15 a bearing head 18 for the opposed ends of the arms 16 and 17 is provided. This bearing head 18 at least in the region where it is engaged by the ends of the arms 16 and 17 has grooves '19 formed in its edges, in which grooves the edge portions of the arms 16 and 17 engage (FIG. 6). The arms 16 and 17 are provided with thickened portions 20 in the corners under the shoulders of the arms. These thickened portions 20 have a groove 21 formed in their edges facing the body portion 15. This groove 21 is positively engaged by a hearing member 22 of the body portion, whereby a stable connection between'the separate parts of the form is achieved which can be easily separated and again established.

In the embodiment of the form shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 provision is made of a central division of the body portion 15. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the twohalves of the form are connected together along the parting line by a glued-on foil strip 23'on both sides of the form. This provides a hinge-like connection between the halves'of the form so that the halves can be folded together for fitting on or removing the tubular fabric. I

Furthermore, a particular feature of the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 resides in that the entire form is'enc'losed in a smooth envelope 24 of fabric permeable man and steam. This envelope of fabric may, if necessary, substitute the closed border 12 shown in FIG. 2. In all embodiments of the form the edges 11 extending all round the form are preferably constructed as sharp edges, as shown in cross section in FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 shows a form in which merely the body portion is constructed in screen fashion. The form has arms 16a and 17a which are formed by appropriately shaped bow type members which are opentoward the body portion 15 and applied thereto in order to fill the arms of the tubular fabric.

In this embodiment a pull-over is shown as fitted on the form. This pull-over is stretched at its lower edge in longitudinal direction by tension rods 26 which are provided at their ends facing the pull-over 25 with hooks 27 with which the tension rods are engaged in the lower portion of the pull-over. Preferably all forms are provided at their lower ends with a substantially U-shaped frame 28. This frame serves for suspending the form in the ironing or steaming device preferably in such a manner that the forms together with the U-shaped frame are pivotable in the ironing or steaming device. The fastening of the form in the ironing or steaming device is effected expediently with the aid of the lower connecting web 28a of the U-shaped frame 28. The tension rods 26 are likewise fastened to this connecting web 28a. For longitudinally stretching the tubular fabric saw-tooth shaped holding elements 29 are additionally provided in the region of the waist of the tubular fabric, which holding elements are likewise capable of stretching the tubular fabric in longitudinal direction.

Another particular feature of the embodiment of FIG. 10 resides in that the free ends of the bow type arms 16a and 17a are provided with enlarged portions 30. These enlarged portions 30 have a bore 31 in which a cord 14 is fixed. The fiexible cord determines the maximum width of the bow type arms 16a and 17a in this region in accordance with the width of the tubular fabric in this place. Preferably the cords 14 are adjustable in length in a suitable manner so that an adaptation to the dimensions of the tubular fabric is feasible.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10 a form constructed as proposed by the present invention, and more specifically a screen-like body portion 15, is used in the region of thickened portions and seams of the pull-over 25. This permits to make the bow type arms 16a and 17a of a relatively thin-walled material so that when pressing the pull-over with padded press-plates no impressions are formed on the tubular fabric in the region of the bow type arms 16a and 17a, as was the case with the hitherto usual frame-like forms. However, the press-plate would have to be provided, in this case, with a padding known per se.

The embodiment of FIG. 10a corresponds substantially to the form of construction shown in FIG. 10. Instead of the bow type arms 16a and 17a loosely attachable arms 16b and 17b of perforated material are provided which correspond substantially to the arms of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 4.

The division and assemblage of the forms, specifically of the body portion 15 as well as of the arms 16 and 17 or 1611 and 17a, respectively, may be effected in various ways. Thus it is possible to use a hinge-like connection as described with reference to FIG. 8 also for the connection of the arms 16 and 17 with the body portion.

The forms as proposed by the invention can be used in steaming and ironing devices with relatively few stations and short cycle times since rapid heating and cooling of the forms and thus of the fitted-on tubular fabric is possible.

Because of the good and accurate distribution of steam and heat over the entire object to be treated the invention can be employed even for the treatment of tubular fabric of synthetic fibers. Preferably the invention is used in a vertical steaming and ironing device with only three equidistantly spaced stations.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. A device onto which tubular fabric having contours is fitted for treating by steaming and pressing comprising:

(a) a thin, flexible fiat form corresponding to the general outline of the tubular fabric to be treated and being capable of receiving said fabric without being deformed in transverse direction,

(b) said flat form having openings formed therein lying closely adjacent to each other to provied a thin walled construction,

(0) said flat form further includes a solid outer border portion to prevent damage to said tubular fabric being fitted thereon,

(d) the said openings have a diameter of about 0.8 to 1.0 mm. and said openings have a center distance with respect to each other of about 1.25 mm.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said openings are staggered with respect to each other.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the form has a thickness of about 0.8 to 1.0 mm. and said outer border portion terminates in sharp edges.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said outer border portion is continuously closed.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least the borders or edges, respectively, of the form are coated with a material to provide slidability.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said material consists of Teflon.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said material comprises a foil strip glued on said outer border portion of said form.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a smooth envelope of fabric permeable to steam and air is provided in which the entire form is enclosed.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the form intended for a tubular fabric consists of a plurality of separate pieces which, when assembled, completely fill the tubular fabric.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the form includes a thin body portion, two thin U-shaped ar-ms having two free ends thereby forming an open bow, said how being open toward the body portion for stretching the arms of the tubular fabric and a cord connecting said free ends of the U-shaped arms to control the dimensions of the arms of the tubular fabric.

11. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein narrow glued-on foil strips connect in hinge fashion foldable parts of the form with at least one other part of the form on both sides over the entire lengths of a parting line between said form parts.

12. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one -U-shaped frame is attached to the body portion of the form for pivotally suspending the form in a steaming or ironing device.

13. A device as claimed inclaim 9, wherein parts of the form include two arm portions and a body portion, said arm portions being positively connected with said body portion.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a bearing head having edges is provided on the upper end of the body portion and grooves are formed in the edges of the bearing head, in which grooves the upper ends of the arms having appropriate bearing members are insertable with the bearing members, whereas the body portion has a lower bearing member and the arms have thickened grooved portions in which the said lower bearing member engages.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the form consists of a heat-resisting material from the group consisting of metal and plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,388 1/1927 Rabinovitch 223-75 1,616,510 2/ 1927 Roach 223-75 448,951 3/ 1891 Fogarty 223-69 McKinney 223-69 'LaFargue 223-69 Albert 223-69 Mayer 223-69 McDowall et a1 223-69 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Prirhary Examiner.

GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

